Ecological Classification

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Lewis</div> <bR> <div> I propose a simple analytic scheme for zoning local and regional areas based upon the relative amount of direct interference and penetration by human systems of natural biotic orders. Such a system I propose would be generally useful for identifying, designating, classifying and mapping a broad range of biotic components and relationships within a global framework, as these occur in many different locations and complex areas, and for analyzing patterns of transition and alteration that occur in biotic systems. I propose furthermore that the simplicity of such a system is useful for handling the large scale complexity that is otherwise represented by biotic systems worldwide.</div> <div> This system is ranked in three tiers: A. Mostly non-human biotic, B. Mixed Systems, and C. Mostly human controlled or manipulated systems. Within this three tiered structure, I would propose that application of three orders of magnitude: completely, partially and slightly. Thus we have the following system:</div> <div> A. Mostly Non-human Biotic Systems</div> <div> Systems that are represented by no to moderate degree of human contact or influence, but which influence tends to be non-interfering with the non-human systems.</div> <div> A1 Completely Non-human biotic systems--systems exist completely without direct contact or interference with human systems.</div> <div> A2 Mostly Non-human biotic systems--systems that are mostly non-human but experience a slight to moderate degree of human interference or penetration. Examples would include fringe forest, tundra, or marine biomes that are occasioned by human contact for purposes of research or travel.</div> <div> A3 Moderately Non-human biotic systems--areas that feature some degree of contact from human systems but in which natural biotic systems are largely unaffected or undisturbed by continuous or frequent but minimal contact or influence.</div> <div> B. Mixed Human-Non-human Biotic Systems</div> <div> These are systems characterized by regular interaction between human and non-human biotic elements and in which systems of interdependency or alternatively of predation or parasitism develop, usually of the human upon the non-human system.</div> <div> B1 A system that features regular intrusions into non-human biomes for purposes of biotic resource exploitation. Hunting, fishing, and foraging patterns may be designated as B1 level of intensity, unless such patterns are so imbalanced as to lead to the extermination or extinction of local species.</div> <div> B2 Systems featured by domestication and horticultural enterprises by human communities, in which there is regular interaction and the rise of species that are dependent or specially adapted to survival within human systems or in relation to human systems. In an ideal manner, these may be seen as balanced and stable systems of interaction between human and non-human biotic components, and thus achieve a potential for longevity of adaptation. Horticultural systems, herding, pastoral systems, and some forms of agricultural systems qualify as B2 level systems.</div> <div> B3 Systems that are marked by a predominant intrusion of human control or interference factors that serve to alter, circumscribe and limit the non-human biotic elements, often in a manner that is exploitative of biotic resources for the immediate gain of human communities, but at the long term expense of these non-human biotic systems. Many intensive agricultural and other types of food-farming systems can be characterized as B3. Processes of selective breeding, cultural selection play with domestication to produce a restricted range of species that are wholly dependent upon human intervention and human systems for their survival.</div> <div> C. Mostly or Completely Human Biotic Systems</div> <div> C1 Systems that feature a predominant human population and control but which are characterized by a significant degree of limited non-human biotic elements. Typical of such systems are town-ship communities and suburban areas that are marked by sometimes extensive intrusion or elaboration of non-human biotic systems, but only under the tutelage and management of human care-takers who constructed such systems by design or as the unintended consequence of human development and intervention. Parks in cities represent such area.</div> <div> C2 Systems are those that are characterized by mostly human control and patterns of biotic interaction, characterizing especially highly populated human regions that are urbanized. In these areas, non-human biotic components tend to be minimized and strictly controlled and regulated. The majority of human beings on earth can be said to live within frameworks and zones that are C2 in character.</div> <div> C3 Systems are those that are characterized by the almost complete or total absence of non-human biotic components, as significant factors in the patterning of the environment and its relationships. Downtown urban settings, with little or now plant life, except that found confined to interiors of homes, the cracks of side-walks, or cages or confines of small spaces, typify a C3 system.</div> <div> Thus we have a system that we can characterize any region or local area on earth by the degree of interaction and net balance of relationships that occur between human and non-human biotic components. We can place this three tiered, nine-level system along a continuum of a scale of intensity ranging between one and nine, nine being the most intense degree of human domination and intrusion upon biotic systems, and one being the most intense degree of non-human biotic domination.</div> <div> Tier/Level</div> <div> Degree/Description of Human Involvement</div> <div> Intensity Scale</div> <div> A1</div> <div> Completely non-human biotic systems</div> <div> 1</div> <div> A2</div> <div> Mostly non-human biotic systems</div> <div> 2</div> <div> A3</div> <div> Moderately non-human biotic systems</div> <div> 3</div> <div> B1</div> <div> Mixed human/non-human systems favoring non-human components</div> <div> 4</div> <div> B2</div> <div> Balanced human-non-human biotic system, defined mostly by mutual interdependencies</div> <div> 5</div> <div> B3</div> <div> Mixed human/non-human biotic system favoring human components</div> <div> 6</div> <div> C1</div> <div> Moderately human biotic systems</div> <div> 7</div> <div> C2</div> <div> Mostly human biotic systems</div> <div> 8</div> <div> C3</div> <div> Completely human biotic systems</div> <div> 9</div> <div> In applying this kind of classification system to zoning and identification of components and functional features of areas and biomes as these occur today in the world, we must recognize that many systems are mixed and tend to be heterogeneous, and thus may straddle one or more zones or levels or scales of intensity, may oscillate regularly or irregularly between zones or levels, or may feature subsystems that occur at different levels simultaneously. Thus it would be useful to extend such a zoning system to a 9 x 9 grid or matrix of relationships between all 9 levels, with the recognition of the possibility of a number one type of system co-occurring with, for instance, a number nine subsystem. We can for instance imagine such an ecological contradiction in the winter-quarters of a scientific team in the Ant-Arctic, a small enclosed 9-type colony, protected from winter winds and night-time temperatures, and surrounded by vast expanses of 1-type environments. Just the opposite kind of system we can imagine is one in which the  To depict the grid, with the highlighted letters of the first row representing the dominant occurring, or alpha system and the italicized letters of the first column representing the second-order or beta system that co-occurs.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <div align="center"> <center> <table border="2" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> </td> <td><b>1/A1</b></td> <td><b>2/A2</b></td> <td><b>3/A3</b></td> <td><b>4/B1</b></td> <td><b>5/B2</b></td> <td><b>6/B3</b></td> <td><b>7/C1</b></td> <td><b>8/C2</b></td> <td><b>9/C3</b></td> </tr> <tr> <td>1/A1</td> <td> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>2/A2</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>3/A3</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>4/B1</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>5/B2</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>6/B3</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>7/C1</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>8/C2</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>9/C3</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> </table> </center> </div>  </div> <bR> <div> It is clear that in the on-going patterns of human population growth and development of human civilization, there has been an increase in C-tiered systems at the expense of A-tiered systems and, as well, a possibly shift in the kind and frequency of mixed systems from a 1 to a number 3 level, representing the overall tendency for human systems to become dominant, and take over in any given area, usually at the expense of non-human biotic elements.</div> <div> It is neither possible nor realistic to develop models or frameworks for understanding systems ecology or global ecology, in any framework, without taking into central account the role long played by, and increasing dominated by, human systems. It is difficult to speak of truly pristine environments occurring on the earth today, wherever we may search, that has not been somehow contaminated by human systems.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="0d94e350.png" border=0 width="78" height="53" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Sorry for the Inconvenience!</div> <bR> <div> <B>You have reached the current limit of our web-construction activities, please turn back and explore other avenues!</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c43e330.png" border=0 width="574" height="51" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  <script language="Javascript" src="https://seal.starfieldtech.com/getSeal?sealID=720039320071f8c61f12710b91e37cc117a4b091897591454247040"></script>  </div> <bR> <div>  <p align="center"> <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript"> s="na";c="na";j="na";f=""+escape(document.referrer) </script> <script language="javascript1.2" type="text/javascript"> s=screen.width;v=navigator.appName if (v != "Netscape") {c=screen.colorDepth} else {c=screen.pixelDepth} j=navigator.javaEnabled() </script> <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript"> function pr(n) {document.write(n,"\n");} NS2Ch=0 if (navigator.appName == "Netscape" && navigator.appVersion.charAt(0) == "2") {NS2Ch=1} if (NS2Ch == 0) { r="&size="+s+"&colors="+c+"&referer="+f+"&java="+j+"" pr("<A HREF=\"http://www.TheCounter.com\" TARGET=\"_top\"><IMG"+ " BORDER=0 SRC=\"http://c1.thecounter.com/id=515383"+r+"\"><\/A>")} </script> <NOSCRIPT> <a HREF="http://www.TheCounter.com" TARGET="_top"><img SRC="http://c1.thecounter.com/id=515383" ALT="TC" BORDER="0" width="88" height="31"></a> </NOSCRIPT>   </div> <bR> <div>    </div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>